Writing this title makes me think about the clothing (skate & surf) brand. Which is a great brand. But I am not writing about that brand here. Man, summer's been busy! And I mean BUSY! Literally. I've taken several jobs on me to save up for my own van, a Mercedes Sprinter from 2005. I've bought it from a guy who does Croyde Surf Hire. I've started to sleep in it as soon as I had it. Starting off at Combas Farm, which is situated in the lovely valley between Putsburough and Croyde. I had my Vango 6XL tent and 'Stan the Van' parked next to it. My brother in law came up with the name. I love it, it's definitely a Stan, not Bruce which I had in mind first. I think Bruce fits more to a long wheel base vehicle, and Stan is a SWB. As I was still working The Beach Cafe Downend and did coasteering sessions for Coastline Sports UK. I slowly phased out the tent and started living in the van. This could not be done without a bed frame (picture below), as this created the necessary space for my stuff.
The fun was mainly in designing the frame, drawing it out, and then actually going to a DIY store on an Industrial Estate and get the wood for it. I had no tools at all so I bought a saw, a tape measure, a tiny electric screw driver, some brackets and screws obviously. Such a satisfying afternoon that was, putting it all together. Not all the measures I had taken were perfect, especially when I mounted
the left bedside to the right end of the entire frame, the pieces of carcassing needed adjusting, but all in all it got in quite well. Two pieces of ply on top of this frame made the base for my bed, which was an airbed at first. This airbed was about as thick as the distance between your thumb and the tip of your little pinky when showing a shaka. Massive. When September ends, the UK gets a little chillier, and during this week where we had a equinox full moon, with bright skies, temperatures dropped quite quickly. The van wasn't insulated (apart from the roof, which has an aluminium bedding adhesed to it), and I had some cold nights. This made me realize I first had to invest in good bedding, a warm duvet, and then get my heater installed. Several days later, and a sleep-over of three nights at a local superstar, my van came back from the legends (!!) at Totally Transporters. I also took the opportunity to work on the van's insulation while it was at their workshop. It was very nice to put three rolls of recycled plastic insulation behind the side panels, while the technician finished the installation of the heating system. I got a diesel heater, which runs on the main diesel tank. In the near future, I hope to be able to put solar panels and an electric heater in it, and use the diesel heater as back-up. It was a tough one, as I advocate sustainable living, and when you live off-grid, fossil-free is definitely possible. The UK just doesn't have enough sun hours throughout the year, so I had to make a trade-off.
Now I can heat up the cabin before I go to bed, I have a good night of sleep in the van, and I can say I'm beyond stoked about that. The idea that a cold Portugese night will not be a problem for me and Stan, just sparks my adventurous heart, and it is with great joy that I can announce that by October 9, I will visit Holland first, but will travel rather quickly to the south of Europe. To continue this journey. To explore, to connect, and to surf loads.
For now, I hope you enjoyed this little update, and have made some epic winter plans. Perhaps we'll meet somewhere down the coast or in the water. Take it easy everyone. Ivo